‎Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the kidnapping of school children and teachers at Oriire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State.
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‎The convicts — Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar) — were convicted after pleading guilty to several terrorism-related charges.
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‎The defendants, all from Suleja LGA in Niger State, were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
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‎They admitted to concealing information about the masterminds of the school attack and acknowledged their membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
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‎While the trio maintained their innocence on Counts 1, 2, 4, and 5, they pleaded guilty to other counts. Only the first defendant, Umar, further pleaded guilty to Counts 7, 8, 9, and 10, which alleged that he provided training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
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‎The prosecution alleged that between January and May 2026, the defendants conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab to kidnap the school children and teachers in Oyo State, in violation of Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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‎They were also accused of aiding the kidnapping and concealing information about the masterminds, contrary to Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act.
‎During proceedings, the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendants on the counts to which they pleaded guilty, in line with Section 274 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and to fix a date for the trial of the remaining counts.

‎Defence counsel requested that sentencing on the guilty counts be deferred until the conclusion of the trial on the contested charges. The prosecution opposed this, arguing that the law requires immediate conviction and sentencing on counts where guilty pleas were entered.
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‎After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reviewed the facts of the case. The prosecution called its first witness, an investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS) identified by the pseudonym AAA. The witness testified that the defendants made voluntary extra-judicial statements in the presence of their lawyer, which were electronically recorded and endorsed by the defendants and their counsel. The recordings were tendered in evidence.
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‎Justice Ibrahim subsequently convicted and sentenced the three defendants to life imprisonment on the counts to which they pleaded guilty. ‎

The matter has been adjourned to September 16 and 17, 2026, for the continuation of trial on the remaining counts.
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Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has commenced an urgent investigation into a strange white, foamy, cloud-like substance that appeared along the busy Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.

The unusual substance drew crowds and sparked widespread online speculation, with some initially mistaking it for “fallen clouds.” NESREA has warned residents and motorists to avoid the area, describing it as a suspected chemical spill possibly linked to a truck accident.

Agency officials from the Kaduna State Field Office visited the site, collected samples of the foam, soil, and nearby water for laboratory analysis to determine its composition and potential environmental or health risks.

Further updates are expected as tests continue. Motorists are advised to exercise caution on the expressway.

US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership against terrorism.

In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”

According to Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”

The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.

In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States.

Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.

A highlight of the collaboration was the May 16 coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants.

Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration.

Full text of the letter dated July 6, 2026: Dear Mr President, “Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.

I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.

” Sincerely, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America.